Australian crime fiction. From Amazon.co.uk "When the storm dies down after the death of her aunt Jenny and the suicide of her cousin Cate, Marlo attempts to get on with her life. But when she discovers the body of a tramp bludgeoned to death in a local park, her grief emerges raw and fresh. Reluctant to get drawn into the investigation of another death, Marlo finds she has no choice when the police point the finger at her boss and friend of many years, Harold. Perhaps in solving this new mystery, she will at last be able to put her own ghosts to rest."

Thanks, peggysmum.

Readable enough without being great

I enjoyed this murder mystery, & there is really no need to read the earlier Marlow Shaw mystery An Uncertain Death first, but I wish I had done so. Marlo has some problems she is dealing with that are a direct result of the previous book - these are revealed as we read, but I would have liked to be in the know beforehand.

Marlo's own experiences give her some insight into the workings of families & murder. It takes her a while to get right down to basics - there's a certain amount of conclusion-jumping beforehand -, but when she starts looking logically instead of emotionally, Marlo zeroes in on the murderer quite rapidly.

Written in the first person, & written well with very little padding. I'd like to get hold of Morwood's later Eleanor Jones mysteries but have been unable to find them anywhere.

For the 2015 Australian Women Writers Challenge.

Sent to Billbooks for the November 2015 SCBE.

A new murder mystery author and Australian to boot!

Being released as part of the great downsizing cull of 2016